Conqueor # 1d

We’ve been talking about coming out ofbondage[RJ1] , but then we find ourselves in a wilderness[RJ2] [RJ3] . After the wilderness, we are to go into thepromise land, and from the promise land, we are to then walk in victory.

I) If you arestill in bondageor youfell like you are in the wilderness it is time to come out.

A) Thatwilderness might not be a bad place to be for a season, but there is a time to come out.

a) If that’s the case,if you’refacingastruggleand it seems like yournot going anywhere,the only way to get out of itisthrough faith[RJ4] [RJ5] and [RJ6] [RJ7] [RJ8] bringing[RJ9] into captivity every thoughtto the obedience of Christ.

2 There are some definite steps that you have to take to get out of bondageand the wilderness and stay out.

B) After the children of Israel were delivered from the bondage of Egypt, they went to the wilderness.

1 In (ROM 15:4) it says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”[1]

a) Things that are written in theO.T.arefor our learningand to give us hope to give us hope.

2 Sometimes,when we get out of bondage,victory comes gradually.

a) The Israelites went from Egypt (bondage) to the wildernessfrom the wildernessto the Canaan landandfrom Canaan to victory[RJ10] .

3 EXO 3:18

C) Really the 1st is to stop thinking about YOU.

1 It’s not all about you.

a) 1 of the 1st thingsthatwe need to do to come out of bondageorthewilderness, out ofstorms, trials, andout of dry placesis to be a TRUE WORSHIPER[RJ11] .

2 Look atHEB 13:10-11

a) This is talking about the sacrifices.

3 Heb 13:12-16 (V13 says “giving[RJ12] thanks”

a) This is telling us that we are to offer a sacrifice, but our sacrifice is to be that of praise.

b) But we read verse 16 which may not be to clear to us.

(i) The Amplified says, “Do not forget or neglect to do kindness and good, to be generous and distribute and contribute to the needy [of the church as embodiment and proof of fellowship], for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”[2]

(ii) In Leviticus it talks about giving an offering in thanksgiving.

II) The1ststep to getting out of awildernessis tobe a worshipper.

A) Jesus said inJOHN 4:23that theFather seeks true worshippers to worship Him in truth and in spirit[RJ13] [RJ14] .

B) The2ndthing that the children of Israelneeded to seewas thatGOD IS THEIR PROVIDER.

a) To come out of that wilderness and to walk in victory we have to know that God is our provider and that He is our source.

2 We need to look to God and trust Him to meet our needs.

a) PSA 37:3

b) The Amplified translation says this best.“Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.”[3]

c) And of course, weall know(PHIL 4:19)“My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus[RJ15] .”

C) The3rdthing thatthey had to know to get outof thewildernessandintothepromise landwas theimportance of following God.

1 If youremember, God providedacloud by dayand aPillar of fire by nightto direct their paths.

a) Wetoomust learn to follow His leadings and allow Him to direct our paths.

b) PSA 23:2-3

c) (PSA 37:23)Says,“The steps of a good (righteous) man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way.”

III) But we just can’t stop there. Sometimeswe get content in the area of provisionfound in the promise land. In the promise land,there are still many battles.

A) You may have come along way. You came from bondagebut found yourself in wilderness. From the wilderness,you entered into the promise land[RJ16] . But now you need to go on to victory.

1 We need to go to absolute victory.

2 Look at the 1st thing the Lord said to Joshuawhen they were ready to come out of the wilderness. (After worshiper, God provider, lead by the Lord)

a) JOSHUA 1:2

b) Now go down to V 11.

3 This was “Faith for Victory.”

a) This is the faith that is needed to be a conqueror. “Bold Faith.”

4 (1st JOHN 5:4) says, “This is the victory that overcome the world, -- our faith.”

a) That’s what you need to have, “Faith for Victory.”

IV) Butthere was afinal instructionthat thepeople neededin order to be victorious.

A) JOSHUA 3:5

1 This word“Sanctify”means“to consecrate and purify.”

2 In orderto seeGod’s miraclesin your life we need to live a holy lifebefore Him, andtosell out totally to Him.

V) Joshua as a young man faced the hardship of the wilderness.

A) I remember Kenneth Hagin saying that people that have everything handed to them almost never learn to walk in faith. Sometimes it's a blessing when we experience hardship.

1 God has a way of turning things around, through the hardship we grow in the area of faith. We learn to stand in faith.

1 This was God's promise of victory, & you know the rest of the story.

2 For them to get the victory they had to see themselves as conquers.

3 They had to see themselvesin light of God's Word.

4 I’m going toendwith this final scripture. PSA 92:12;15 From the AMP“The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful and fruitful]; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable and incorruptible]. (V15) [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

a) Your life can be a sign to all that God is faithful to His children and to His Word.